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Thursday, 24 October 2013

Nissan-ZEOD

Nissan-ZEOD

The Nissan ZEOD RC is a hybrid electric racing car which will compete in the 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans race.
The ZEOD RC is designed by Ben Bowlby, who previously created the 2012 Garage 56 entry DeltaWing which had also been backed by Nissan. The ZEOD RC will utilize a hybrid electric drivetrain with lithium ion battery packs in a chassis similar in design to the DeltaWing. The ACO announced during 2013 that Nissan Motor Company had been granted the Garage 56 entry for 2014. Nissan unveiled the car, known as the ZEOD RC, during the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans weekend.

With its triangular shape and fuel-efficient powertrain, the Nissan
ZEOD RC shows that racers can save the environment and capture the
imagination.
Nissan first showed the ZEOD
at the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans back in June, or rather it said the car
existed. Four months later, Nissan has revealed the complete car.
ZEOD stands for Zero Emissions On Demand, and Nissan hopes to
campaign it at next year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. While Nissan refers to
it as an electric car, the version that will actually hit the track next
year will have a 1.6-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine – based on the
powerplant used in the Juke NISMO and Nissan-powered DeltaWing racer – supplemented by two electric motors.

We’ll see how this unusual racer stacks up against conventional
designs at the 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans. The ZEOD will be the year’s
Garage 56 entry, occupying a special spot on the grid reserved for
experimental vehicles. Because of their experimental nature, Garage 56
entries are considered unofficial, and don’t compete for the podium.
The first Garage 56 entry was the DeltaWing: a Nissan-sponsored car
that the ZEOD borrows heavily from. The DeltaWing reportedly performed
well at the 2012 Le Mans race, but it was knocked out of contention after a Toyota TS030 Hybrid collided with it.
If the ZEOD doesn’t meet the same fate, Nissan hopes to apply its tech to a top LMP1-class car, and try for an overall victory.

The updated Nissan ZEOD RC benefits from a more streamlined shape with
optimized cooling and improved aerodynamics. Although billed as an
electric vehicle and not a hybrid, the ZEOD RC pairs a 1.6-liter turbo
four with a pair of electric motors. Its regenerative braking system is
derived from the Leaf RC,
and after 11 laps, it's said to be capable of taking another around the
Circuit de la Sarthe under electric power alone, making it the first
racecar capable of doing so. Nissan has further stated that it hopes the
lessons it garners from this project will help in its development of a
new LMP1 to challenge for overall victory at Le Mans in the near future.

Nissan unveiled the groundbreaking, innovative
ZEOD RC - the world's fastest electric racing car that will reach speeds
of more than 300km/h with electric technology at the Le Mans 24 Hours.

The
ZEOD RC (Zero Emission On Demand Racing Car) will make its race debut
at next year's Le Mans 24 Hour. The global leader in electric vehicles
for the road, Nissan will trial variants of new electric drive
train technologies as part of its intended future return to LM P1
competition to challenge for overall victory at the world's most
prestigious endurance race.

Nissan's invitation from the
Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) to compete in the 2014 Le Mans 24 Hours
was announced by Nissan Chairman and CEO, Carlos Ghosn in Japan in
February. The car will compete under the ACO's 'Garage 56' entry - an
additional spot on the grid for vehicles that showcase new and
innovative technology.